Enormous underarm boil... does this need a doctor?

[lemonsandgingerbeer]

Apologies for the stubble

This has come up over the last 4 days and it's super-annoying. Magnesium sulphate hasn't done much, nor have hot compresses (although it has grown pretty big pretty fast).

Should I get to the docs to have it drained?

[CalmMindAngryFace]

How’s your boil now? Any updates ?

[SofEi]

Hi I hope u guys can help me I’ve had this thing on my arm since Monday and it won’t pop what so ever it finally has this one thing of puss just sitting on there and it gets super irritated and swollen and hurt so much and it won’t go away should I do ?

[AndeanMountainCat]

Hurrah, that must be such a relief.

[Crobitzs]

Once it started draining, it was like a complete night and day change. I finally feel better.

[AndeanMountainCat]

@Crobitzs

Years later, but thanks for posting this picture. I have a boil almost exactly like yours and tried to have the NP (nurse practitioner) lance it, but she didn’t get much pus out. 3 days of antibiotics, applying apple cider vinegar (didn’t help, just irritated the surrounding skin) then trying Tea Tree Oil and I’m finally draining!
I never thought that greenish pus and the smell of disgusting infection would make me happy.

Oh my! How is that today?

[MrsPelligrinoPetrichor]

Ouch! 10/10 for photograph 😉

[Crobitzs]

Years later, but thanks for posting this picture. I have a boil almost exactly like yours and tried to have the NP (nurse practitioner) lance it, but she didn’t get much pus out. 3 days of antibiotics, applying apple cider vinegar (didn’t help, just irritated the surrounding skin) then trying Tea Tree Oil and I’m finally draining!
I never thought that greenish pus and the smell of disgusting infection would make me happy.

[Christinayangtwistedsister]

There are Facebook groups for support for HS, they are very good, there is also one for diet with lots of tips

[RomComPhooey]

Years ago I did an elimination diet and you get used to swapping things out. Maize is another good quick starch: cornflakes for breakfast (allergy friendly ones, check labels), popcorn for snacking, polenta for dinner, cakes and cornbread. If you make your polenta slop with tasty stuff (eg mushrooms, seasoning) it sets firm when it goes cold and you dice it into salads or cut it into fingers or slices and reheat by shallow frying with a little oil. Also rice in its many forms. Leftover last night’s risotto is good for packed lunches - fine to eat hot or cold, depending on preference. There are lots of hacks. Ground rice-based porridge for breakfast with stewed fruit.

[Deathsquito]

I haven’t avoided nightshades. Thought that would be too hard, I love tomatoes/peppers too much! And it’s been fine so far.

I’ve mainly just adapted my usual recipes. Last night I had tuna steak, and chickpea pasta (it’s the most similar in taste to normal pasta - found some in Aldi!) with a homemade pasta sauce (whizzed up passata/sundried tomatoes with onion, garlic, peppers, chopped spinach and mushrooms. Quite like red lentil pasta too.

I’ve replaced milk with almond milk and flour with buckwheat/rice flour.

There are some quite nice recipes for buckwheat bread (I’ll see if I can dig them out) and a lot of the Deliciously Ella recipes can work. I’m not a vegetarian but her recipes can be adapted and are mostly wheat/dairy free. I can vouch for her peanut butter cookies, the kids love them!

[lemonsandgingerbeer]

@Deathsquito

I was diagnosed with HS last year op. I’m a sprinter at heart but it is a horrendous and painful condition that I took no delight in at all!

Was told I’d be on very long term antibiotics and possibly need surgery. Apart from that, very little info given.

I searched for any info online that I could and decided to try cutting out yeast/wheat/dairy, mainly out of desperation to avoid antibiotics (which always make me feel very unwell) and surgery. I found only one small study and lots of anecdotal information.

It started to work in two weeks! New boils stopped coming and my underarms healed into largeish scars within a month.

It has required a lot of inventive cooking but I’m in a place now where it doesn’t feel as impossible a diet as it was at first. And it’s motivating as even after just one accidental slip up they start to come right back!

Thanks, @Deathsquito - it's nice to hear from someone who's been there.

I'm feeling pretty sad right now, to be honest –but it's good to know that you've seen such quick results!

I saw a lot online about avoiding nightshades, too... it's a LOT to avoid!

Do you have any resources you'd recommend for recipes? I wouldn't know where to start....

[Deathsquito]

‘Sprinter’ = sporner

[Deathsquito]

I was diagnosed with HS last year op. I’m a sprinter at heart but it is a horrendous and painful condition that I took no delight in at all!

Was told I’d be on very long term antibiotics and possibly need surgery. Apart from that, very little info given.

I searched for any info online that I could and decided to try cutting out yeast/wheat/dairy, mainly out of desperation to avoid antibiotics (which always make me feel very unwell) and surgery. I found only one small study and lots of anecdotal information.

It started to work in two weeks! New boils stopped coming and my underarms healed into largeish scars within a month.

It has required a lot of inventive cooking but I’m in a place now where it doesn’t feel as impossible a diet as it was at first. And it’s motivating as even after just one accidental slip up they start to come right back!

[FolornLawn]

How is it today, OP?

[CovidCorvid]

I’m sorry it’s turned out to be this.

[BlueLobelia]

I had to google HS and can only say i am so terribly sorry.

[2018SoFarSoGreat]

that's horrid news, OP. So sorry!

[MrsPelligrinoPetrichor]

Oh that's rotten

[KitKat1985]

Oh sorry OP that sounds really sore.

[lemonsandgingerbeer]

Yep. Hidradenitis suppurativa.

Am pretty gutted, to be honest –this is the third one I've had in my life but the second was only about 6 months ago.

So I'm worried it's going to turn into something really problematic and the whole thing seems very mysterious and under-researched.

Surgeon said to wait until all the inflammation was gone (about a month) and then he'd take another look to see what, if anything, needs to be removed. @XioXio I think he might be thinking the same as what you've described –that this is an inflamed gland that might go back in once the inflammation has died down.

Meanwhile, it's still slowly draining pus and feeling pretty sore when clothes etc. rub against it.

Ugh.

[Zzelda]

Hidratenitis Suppurativa?

[FolornLawn]

Is your lump called Harry Styles?

[ScarlettDarling]

What’s HS? And will it need to be surgically removed?

[XioXio]

I did a bit of DIY ingrown toe nail removal and I had a fleshy lump of skin pop out the next day. Looks like yours. I slathered it in germoline and soaked in salt water and eventually it went back in. I thought it was a bit of swollen flesh that popped out of a hole too small for it to pop back in to till it was less swollen. Could yours be something similar?

[Dodie66]

What’s an HS